Homogenizer



Sept. 4, 1923.

H. S. LAMB HOMOGENIZER Filed May 26. 1921 Patented Sept.. 6l, igz

interet nutren. stares earner eterea' M931) S. LAMB, F LOS NGELN,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM C. SCHEU,

0F LOSANGELIES, CALIFORNIA.

' noraoonnrzna.

Application IedMay-, 1921. Seriaio. 472,722.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1f, Hanoi@ S. Lamm a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State oitCalifornia, haveinvented new and useful Improvementsin Homogenizers, ofwhich the following is a Nspecicat-ion.v

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in homogenizers ormixers of the type that are utilized for vaporizing liquid hydrocarbonand the like and e'ecting a thorough mixture of the resulting vapor withair to produce a highly combustible mixture that may be burned for theproduction of heat or utilized asy the gaseous fuel 'for the operationof internal combustion engines.

rlhe principal objects of my invention are to generally improve upon andsimplify the construction of the existing types of similar vaporizingand mixing devices, to provide a relatively simple and ecient structurewherein the mixture of vaporized liquid hydrocarbon and air is heated toa temperature greater than that required for the vaporization of theliquid hydrocarbon and less than the temperatureatwhich the mixture isselfignitiig; to provide for the admission of suiicient air to themixture to insure complete combustion andl maintain the temperature ofsaid mixture below the point of selfignition and consequently producinnacombustible mixture that will burn readily with a high degree of heat inthe open air or which can be effectively usedas a gaseous fuel in aninternal combustion engine.

Further objects of my invention are to provide, \in a vaporizer andmixer, a conduit or vaporizing chamber having an intermediate portionthat is enlarged withrspect to its inlet and outlet, such construeagaseous fuel having a high degree of et'-l icieney when burned for theproduction of heat or utilized as gaseous'vfuel in an internalcombustion engine. v

A still further and important object of 'my invention is theprovision ofrelatively simple and efficient means for controlling the delivery ofliquid hydrocarbon to the mixing chamber of the device and likewise forcontrolling the How or delivery of gaseous fuel to the heating device orburner that. is utilized in connection with the vaporizer and mixerespecially in starting.

lr/Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and arrangement ofv parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully de scribed and claimed, and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in whichy F ig. 1 is 'a vertical sectiontaken through a vaporizing and mixing device of my improved constructionand showing said device associated with a gas or vapor burner.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate apractical embodiment of my invention, designa-tes the main body portionof the combined vaporizing and mixing chamber, the same berre ing intheform of a relatively short hollow cylinder with tapered end portions 11,one of which is provided with a tubular extension 12, that serves as aninlet, and the other reduced end portion being provided with a tubularextension 18, that serves as an outlet. f

internal diameter of the body portion 10 of the device, and formedAintegral with or fixed to the wall of thebody portion 10 and the taperedend portions 11 of the device, is an'inwardly presented spirall flange14 that serves to direct t e flow of air and vaporthroughthe device'andpresenting a continuous obstruction orbaile The internal diameters ofthe inlet 12 and outlet f1 are substantially less than the l disposedrplate toA said air 'and vapor in its lpassage through the. enlargedchamber within` the body portion 10.

Projecting outwardly fronif the lower por- Y tion of the body ofthedevice, is a horizontallyv rdisposed arcuate plantel-5, 'and' posijacentto the tubular extension 12 ot' re--i tioned on the outer edge thereofis a vertically disposed semi-circular plate 16 that is spaced apartfrom the main body portion of the device and the upper portion of saidplate being extended inwardly, as designated by 17, and terminatingimmediately adduced diameter atl the upper end ci' the device.

W here my improved vaporizer and mixer is associated with a gas or vaporburner 18, as shown in the accompanying drawing, said burner is directlyconnected to the tubular extension 13 of reduced diameter r at the lowerend of the vaporizing and mixing device, andflea'ding to the tubularextension l2 at the upper end of the device, from a suitably locatedblower or air compressor (not shown), is an air supply pipe 19 withinwhich, adjacent to the tubular `extension 12, is arranged a venturi tube20.

Suitably located adjacent to the device is a housing 21, to which leadsa liquid hydrocarbon supply pipe 22, and arranged within said housing,is a fluid control valve 23 the operation of which co-ntrols the flow ofliquid hydrocarbon from supply pipe 22 maintaining the level of liquidhydrocarbon just below the nozzle opening 28 and communicating with saidnozzle through pipe 24, valve 25 and pipe 27.

This pipe 24 is connected to a valve 25, the opening or port in which isadapted to be closed by the upper end of a vertically disposed stem 26,and leading from said valve, below the port or opening therein to airtube 19 immediately to the rear of the Venturi tube 20, is a pipe `orconduit 27, the same being provided with a jet nozzle 28 that is axiallydisposed withiny tube 19 immediately to the rearof said venturi tube.

Leading to burner 18 is algas supply pipe 29, in which is located avalve housing'30 and the port oropening through which latter iscontrolled by a valve 3l that is carried by the lower end of stem 2 6.

Fixed on stem 26 is a collar 32 beneath which is arranged a/compressionspring 33,

, the burner 18, is a tubularmember 39.

Located in tube 29, below valve 30, is a valve housing 40 the openinginwhich is r controlled by an electrically operated valve 41, and whichlatter is connected in series withy the motor that operates thecompressor or blowerthat is connected to air supply pipe 19. v

Leading from'tubular member 29, at a point adjacent to burner 18, is apilot, light supply pipe 42 that is provided with a suitable regulatingvalve, preferably, a screw 43. ,l l

W hen my improved vaporizer and mixer is not in service, thermostaticmember 36 is not expanded, thereby maintaining pin or stem 35 inelevated position and permitting spring to expand and retain stem 26 inelevated osition, thereby closing the passageway t rough valve housing25 and opening the port or passageway through valve housing 30.

lith the circuit in which electrically operated valve 41 is locatedopen, said valve will rest upon its seat within housing 40. i' y n N henthe circuit in which the motor associated with the blower or aircompressor isclosed, valve 4l will be elevated, thereby permitting gasto pass through pipe 29 and through open valve 31, and said gas isdelivered to burner '18, where it is ignited and burns with ahorizontally disposed circular flame. j

A portion of. this llame impinges directly against the body portion 10of the mixing device, thereby heating the same, and likewise portionsoit the flame enter the chamber 15 between the body of the device andthe semi-circular wall 16, with the result `that the entire body portion10 and the tapered end portions 11 of the-.device are uniformly heated.

As soon as sufficient heat has been developed within the burner and thelower portion of the mixing device, a circulation of heated air will beestablished through tubular members 38 and 39 and housing 37, with theresult that thermostatic member 36 will expand, thereby forcing pin orstem 35 and lever 34 downwardly and which action will compress spring 33and consequently close valve 31 and withdraw the upperA end of `115'compressor or blower will carry the liquid hydrocarbon thus dischargedinto said pipe through the venturi -tube and romythence into and throughthe mixing device` and,

by virtue of the enlarged chamber inpthe Bil i incase? intermediateportion of said device, the ilow of air and liquid hydrocarbon will bematerially retarded, so that the liquid hydrocarbon will be fvaporizediunder heat and eectively mixed with the air, thereby producing a highlycombustible mixture that will burn readily when discharged from the jetopening of the burner 18.

The spirally disposed member 14 within the mixing device imparts awhirling movement to the air and vaporpassing through the enlargedchamber in the device, and, in this connection it will be understoodthat, where a whirling or spiral movement is imparted to air and liquidhydrocarbon, any globules of unvaporized liquid will be thrown outwardlyagainst the wall of the chamber through which said liquid and air ispassing, and where thewall of the chainbei` is heated, such globules ofliquid hydrocarbon will be very quickly and effectively vaporized landin such condition, will mix readily with the air. -i

To achieve best results, it is desirable that the temperature of .themixing device be at an intermediate point between the temperaturerequired for vaporization and the temperature at which the resultingmixture will ignite spontaneously. This desired temperature ismaintained by the regulation of air thatjenters and passes through thedevice, and such regulation is necessary for the vaporization of theliquid hydrocarbon, absorbs a certain amount of heat and tends to coolthe resulting mixture.

Where my improved device is utilized for the production of gaseous fuelthat is to be burned for the production of heat, it is arrangedimmediately adjacent to the burner, as shown.

Instead of constructing the device as herein shown and described, it maytake several dilierent forms.

A mixing and `vibrating device of my irnproved construction iscomparatively simplev may lie easily and cheaply produced andf'is veryeffective in performing its intended functions I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a mixing device, and a burner associatedtherewith, of means for delivering air and liquid hydrocarbon to saidmixing device, -means for delivering gaseous fuel to the burner, andtemperature controlled means for controlling the flow of liquidhydrocarbon to'said' device and for controlling the flow of gas totheburner.

2. The combination with a mixing device and a burner associatedtherewithgof means for delivering air and liquid -hydrocarbon to saidmixingdevice, means for delivering gaseous fuel to the burner`temperature controlled means for controlling the flow of liquidhydrocarbon to said device and for controlling the Liiow of gas to theburner, and

of a burner connected to the outlet end of said device, means fordelivering air and liquid h 'drocarbon to the inlet end of said mixingevice, means for delivering gaseous fuel to said burner, temperaturecontrolledy means for controlling the flow of liquid hydrocarbon to saidIdevice and for controlling the flow of gaseous fuel to said burner, andauxiliary means for controlling the How of gaseous fuel to said burner.

5. The combination with a mixing device and a heating device associatedtherewith, of

means for delivering air and liquid hydrocarbon to said mixing device,means for delivering gaseous fuel to said heating device, and meanscontrolled by the heat generated by said `heating device for controllingthe iow of liquid hyrocarbon' to said mixing device and the flow ofgaseous fuel to said heatin device.

6. T e combination with a mixing device and aheating device associatedtherewithxof means for delivering air and-liquid hydrocarbon to `saidmixing device, means for delivering gaseous fuel to said heating device,means controlled by the heat generated by said heating device forcontrolling the flow` of liquid hydrocarbon to said mixing device andthe flow of gaseous fuel to said heating device, and means for cuttingod the How of -gaseous fuel to said heating device when the eliver'y ofair and liquid hydrocarbon to the mixing device is cut 0E.

7. The.'v combination with a mixing device and a burner associatedtherewith, of means for delivering air and liquid hydrocarbon to theinlet end of said mixing device, means `for delivering gaseous fuel tosaid burner,

and means controlled by the heat generated by said burner for cutting ofthe flow 0f gaseousv fuel tosaid burner and simultaneously opening thepassageway through which the liquid hydrocarbon is admitted to saidmixing device.

8. The combination with a mixing device and a burner associatedtherewith, .of means for deliverin air and liquid hydrocarbon tov theinlet en of said mixing device, means for delivering gaseous fuel tosaid burner,

means controlled by the heat generated by said burner for cutting of theflow of gaseous fuel to said burner and simultaneously openthe How ofgaseous fuel to said burner, and 10 ing the passageway through which theliquid electro-magnetically operated valve for oonhydrocarbon is amitted to said mixing detrolling the How of gaseous fuel to saidviee,and auxiliary means for controlling the burner when the temperaturecontrolled 5 flow of gaseous fuel to said burner. means is out ofservice. y

9. The combination with a mixing device In testimony whereof I havesigned my 15 and a burner associated therewith, ofmeans name to thisspecification. for delivering gaseous fuel o said burner, y temperaturecontrolled means for Controlling n HAROLD S. LAMB.

